Things you might also like

Crackle was formerly known as Grouper, a company Sony paid £65 million for to get into the user-generated video scene that did not prove to be a success.

Crackle is due to take full advantage of Sony's industry-spanning presence and is launching as a spring board for new talent who want to get more out of putting their creations on line than some illiterate YouTube praise.

Hoping for 25 million monthly users, Crackle will "reward" the best video creators with funding, promotion, syndication and exposure to Sony's media branches and partners.

Comedians, filmmakers, animators and musicians are all being encouraged to post as-professional-as-possible content, which could lead to exposure to one of Sony's relevant companies.

For example, short film channel winners will be flown to LA to pitch feature film ideas to Columbia creative executives, while promising stand up comedians will get a slot on stage at an IMPROV comedy club.

So, if you're not a Hollywood wannabe what's in it for you?

Sony is promising viewers a "one-of-a-kind" user experience - you can view the videos in 16 x 9 widescreen format for a start.

One other boon is that the site lets you continue watching a video while you're searching for other content, so will be a more joined-up viewing experience than rival sites.